As social media platforms get better at monetising, what should marketers expect? June 6, 2016 Monetising is a top priority for the world’s leading social platforms like Twitter and Periscope, and recent figures suggest they’re getting better at it. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, the UK’s social media ad spend rose 51 per cent last year to £574m, so what developments should marketers expect from these firms over the coming [...]
Following the BHS collapse and Austin Reed’s closure, it’s clear retailers’ online offerings are not ready to save the British high street June 3, 2016 Another day and yet another high street retailer announcing its financial struggles – this week it is Austin Reed and BHS. The menswear retailer is closing 120 stores, after the announcement it was entering into administration in April. BHS has also announced that thousands of jobs are going to be lost as a result of closing 163 stores. [...]
West Berkshire Brewery raises glass as it expands into Islington-based pub Shillibeers and puts pen to paper on new brewery June 2, 2016 Crowdfunding beer maker West Berkshire Brewery is raising a glass after it put pen to paper on a new £3m custom-built brewery and secured its first urban pub, Shillibeers, in Islington. The new brewery will allow West Berkshire to increase its brewing capacity tenfold and also to provide packaging for other breweries. The brewer has said the [...]
Putting the super back into the supermarkets: What the Co-op rebrand tells us about the current state of the sector June 1, 2016 The unveiling of the Co-op rebrand last week was the latest sign of a major shift in the supermarket arena. The brand’s decision to revert back to its origins, resurrecting – albeit also modernising – its 1968 logo, was a clear attempt to spark an emotional connection with an audience for whom loyalty is meaning [...]
The supermarket squeeze: Big four supermarkets outperformed by discounters and premium competitors June 1, 2016 The big four food retailers – Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons – are suffering in the supermarket squeeze today as both discount and premium challengers boasted the strongest sales growth. Tesco had the smallest drop in sales of the big four, at 0.1 per cent, and Asda the biggest, with a 5.1 per cent decline in sales. Discounters Aldi and [...]
The secret to building consensus around a bold new strategy May 26, 2016 Boardrooms, senior executives and politicians alike are facing growing challenges when it comes to getting decisions made. Whether it’s dealing with issues around the EU referendum, new company policies or investing in new technology, the number of different stakeholders involved is higher than ever before. In a room of different opinions, it is easy to fall [...]
Brexit worries are dampening consumer confidence, says Marks and Spencer boss May 25, 2016 Consumer confidence has been hit by uncertainty over the EU referendum and has consequences for retailers, according to Marks & Spencer boss Steve Rowe. Speaking today after Marks & Spencer posted its latest results, the company's new chief executive said short term confidence has been knocked. “Customer confidence and optimism, particularly in the short-term, in the last few [...]
At the close: Traders looking up on bumper day for the FTSE 100 May 24, 2016 The markets were up today, the pound was up today and oil was up today, as buyers outnumbered sellers across the board. The FTSE 100 closed up 1.4 per cent at 6,219.26, with greens dominating screens, defying logic as economic data pointed to a looming US rate rise and UK public sector finances disappointed. Tesco was the [...]
Prices will go up: Retail bosses issue Brexit “catastrophe” warning May 22, 2016 Retail heavyweights have come out against Brexit, warning that leaving the European Union would be a "catastrophe" for Britain and a "massive shock to the system". The former bosses of four of Britain's biggest retailers – Tesco, Sainsbury's, M&S and B&Q – have warned Brexit will cause prices to rocket, a spike in inflation, job losses and the pound [...]
For Asda boss Andy Clarke, the nadir may be yet to come May 20, 2016 It takes a brave man to call the bottom. It's just so easy to get it wrong. Asda boss Andy Clarke certainly appears to have jumped the gun when he said last August that the Walmart-owned supermarket had reached its “nadir”. At the time, his words were meant to give reassurance that, although the business [...]